Mr Fusspot
= Mr Fusspot = Mr. Fusspot is possibly the most important, and certainly the richest, dog in Ankh-Morpork. His mother was a pedigreed spoon hound (likely from spoon meaning to cuddle and hound - ie a lap dog). His father was, due to the nature of Discworld genetics, all of the dogs that his mother met after getting out one night. This liaison gives him a distinct look, with bulging eyes and a pushed in face. He was owned by Topsy Lavish, chairperson of the Ankh-Morpork bank and was bequeather a 1% interest in the bank while Topsy was given 50% thanks to the generosity of her husband. When Topsy dies, she specified in her will that he receive her 50% interest and that he be given into the care of the Moist von Lipwig who was to be made Master of the Royal Mint. The double whammy, for Moist is that the dog is personally worth $AM20,000 (to be paid in arrears) for every full year he remains alive. But the dog is also worth $AM100,000 to the Assassins' Guild, who are under orders to inhume Moist, should any unfortunate accident befall the dog. Fortunately the Assassins have a code of conduct, or the general Ankh-Morpork ethos might suggest, to an Assassin of a certain turn of mind, that to kill the dog himself and thus activate the deferred contract would be worth a cool hundred grand. However, as Vetinari himself points out, somewhat acidly, Moist has been done a great favour here, as the Guild of Assassins will not accept a second contract on his life. Mr Fusspot takes an immediate shine to Moist when they first meet, leaving his usual resting place in Topsy's in basket to sit on Moist's lap. He takes regular walks with Mr. Bent who does not like him. The feeling is mutual and Mr. Bent needs to wear heavy gloves to pick his small charge up. Mr. Fusspot is notable for being the only small lapdog to ever tree Angua von Überwald in her werewolf form. The strange and unique circumstances in which he manages this are related in Making Money. At the conclusion of the book, Mr Fusspot leaves his home with Moist, the Master of the Mint, and finds another home with a kind and appreciative new Master, Vetinari. Annotation Bizarrely, on Roundworld, New York hotelier and real estate billionaire Leona Helmsley left $12m (£5.97m) to her pet dog, Trouble. Good name. The pampered pooch received the largest bequest from Mrs Helmsley's will. Mrs Helmsley, who died in August 2007, was dubbed the "Queen of Mean" by the US media, and was known for her tough approach to business. She and her late husband, Harry, built a company which managed some of New York's most prestigious addresses, including the Empire State Building, as well as hotels across the country. The money for Trouble's upkeep was left in the hands of her brother, Alvin Rosenthal, who himself inherited $10m. Category:Characters Category:Animals Category:Dogs